Folded strip



Jan. s, 195o A. yUNGLER FOLDED STRIP Filed oct. so, 1945 ATIORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1950 FOLDED STRIP Abraham Unger, South Orange, J., assignor tov Duro-Persian Mfg. Co., Inc., East Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 30, 1945, Serial No. 625,539

4 Claims.

This invention relates to folded strips of flexible ornamental materialy and is herein disclosed in some detail as embodied in a folded over strip of cellophane. This particular material is a substantially heat-resistant, waterand oil-insoluble cellulose lm or artificial film which maybe produced by precipitation of a viscose solution with ammonium salts.

One of the bailiing problems of the arts is to put to use the novel properties of new materials which may be thinner than paper, stronger than paper of the same thickness, may carry a glossier finish than paper, are less weakened by wetting with water, are stable in many forms, and are nonbrous. According to the present invention all these properties of Cellophane and some other materials may be utilized by spirally folding a narrow strip of the material, producing a highly ornamental ribbon which is adapted to be used as a ribbon or may be used in the making of structures such as so-icalled straw hats, and yet may be produced by a simple process at trivial cost.

The thinnest commercially available Cellophane has been found to provide a material of ample strength for making a product having highly desirable novel characteristics. Such a material is often about 0.0008 inch thick and may be procured carrying the highest conceivable gloss, is amply strong and water-resistant, does not cut threads sewed through it and may be colored black, or some other color, while retaining these characteristics.

That material is strong enough to put through twisting and folding operations without injuring its properties, not tearing as would paper of comparable thickness, and its smoothness and evenness render it ideal for manufacture by automatic machinery.

One highly effective and useful tape has been made by drawing a one-inch strip of the highly glossy opaque black Cellophane over a bar to keep it flat and then twisting it and reeling up the twisted strip so that it flattens as it reels up. A very useful rate of twist was found to be about one per inch of length of strip fed for' strip onev inch wide. The-ribbon may have somewhat irregular foldings thus producing a slight, irregular variation in the final ribbon. With wider or more narrow strip different rates of twist may be utilized depending upon the appearance and construction desired.

While the invention is illustrated as embodied in a Cellophane film either glossy or dull, because that is an exceedingly cheap material widely available commercially, other synthetic or arti- 55 Iicial films may be employed if of sufficient strength and thinness to fold without weakening and fold so as to give a flexible ribbon. The article and method of making involve very little labor and hence can be inexpensively made and used for making inexpensive braids, hat bodies, and the like. The method provides a simple and inexpensive way of making braid with unusual stiffness and body.

One object of the invention is to provide a highly ornamental ribbon.

Another object is toprovide a highly flexible ribbon, nearly waterproof, which carries a high gloss.

Another object is to provide a ribbon, the slight irregularities of which contribute to an attractive appearance.

Another object is to provide such a ribbon that it may be produced at low cost and carry the desired properties.

Another object is to provide such a ribbon by utilizing commercially available materials.

' Other and further objects of the invention will ybe obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrates v a device suitable for producing the ribbon;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view with parts distorted for clarity; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary face View of an end of the ribbon, partly unfolded to show how the folds may be related to the structure.

In the form shown a one-inch, strip I0 of highly lustrous black Cellophane 300 denier or about 0.0008 inch thick was drawn from a loosely rotating spool or reel II by a pair of rollers I2 and I3 so as to feed the strip at a definite speed. The tape then is shown as passing over a flat bar or surface I4 and then passes on to a rotating spool I5 which is shown as adapted to wind up the strip I0 on its fiat face while it rotates in a plane parallel to its axis I6 so as to twist or fold the ori-coming strip.

The one-inch strip is usually twisted or folded by the turning of the spool I5 at such a rate that it turns about once in every inch it is fed by the The resultingtape obtained by twisting the de-f scribed strip at this speed is roughly 5/32 to 6/az inch wide, Varying with the way the folds fallu and with the number of superposed turns on the spool l5. The tape is strong enough to support-z;y

a weight of a number of pounds ,.in, fact is too strong 'for an ordinary personvftdbreak- :byra di;` rect pull, is easily sewable, is highly glossy on.:

dull depending on the Cellophane used, uninjured by ordinary wetting, and'seems-.iridescent :with various facets formed by the underlying folds,

does not crack when folded, and the diagonally running edge is. almost invisible, lying close against the tape surface.y t

The structure .of "the Vresulting tape is best shown in Fig. Brin which the tape lfis shown unrolled below Il so that the surface'part-VIB which- Vliesflat shows the; diagonal folds I9v running di ago'nally of a long side 20;' It will be -obser-ved, however; that the end 2 I'which-was cut across the axis'of Vthe foldedtape-lies-atan -acute angle Ato the side but is at right angles to the-folds I9; Thus in effect thetape ismade up of bias .folds.

Thegfol'ded tape has a body unattainable in any ordinary way withv 'Cellophanefand retains fits folds `and bodyA throughany ordinary handling andgsewing and `is exceedingly strong.

WhileV the tape* has been-primarily adescribed asmade from-5a strip iene-'inchwide',-.v-they method of producing it enables much narrowenstrips-to bey-folded so that 'they- :may :be safelyfhandled without danger of unfoldinggand::moreoverf en, ables satisfactory folded strips tobefproduced commercially much Vnarrower 'than has; hitherto been found possible.-

Usually the finished tape. shows about oneturn lengthwisev per unit 0f fvvidth. i The :narrower widths are very usefulfor braid andV open belting, Y showingrno tendency to unfold, thoughnotably elastic when wovenzinto beltsaorftapes.

As various changes may be made'in .the form, construction and arrangement of the parts here,- in-without departing from the-:spirit iandscope of-:the invention and Vwithout vsacrificing;.anyof its f-advantages, it isl to' .b'e-` understood,- thatwall matter herein is to be interpreted-asjllustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described vone embodiment ofnthe invention in some detaiL'what is claimed; is:V

1. A flexible and substantially. non-stretchable flatV twisted ribbon-like tapeihavingv a Vlwidth severaltimes greater than they thicknessthereof, comprising a strip'of artificial film fmaterialdis posed in substantially' spirallyv arranged convolutions along the length of 'said-tapexand forming at `all portions along thelength of said .tapea plurality of at superposed layers, each'at layer comprising one side of Va single convolution which overlaps the major portion ofu'the Y immediately underlying layer, said flat superposedlayers being firmly in contact with each other and rmly retained against slippage with respect to each other.

2. A flexible and substantially non-stretchable flat twisted ribbon-like tape having a Width several times greater than the thickness thereof, comprising a strip of artificial lm material dispcsed in ,substantially spirallyfatrangecl convolutionsgalong. the length of said tapa-with the distance between adjacent substantially spirally dis- -`rposed strip edges being not less than the Width of said strip, and forming at all portions along the length of said tape a plurality of at superposed layers, each, flat layer comprising one side of a singleconvolutionwhi'ch overlaps the major portion oftheirnmediately underlying layer, said flat superposed layers being firmly in contact with eachother and firmly retained against slippage withv respect to each other.

BfA Vfiexible and substantially non-stretchable flatrtwisted ribbon-like tape having a width several times greater-,-than the'.thicknessrthereof,

comprisingA a strip of;artificial;v l'mifmaterialzdisef.`

posed in substantially spirallyrarranged;fcQnvol f, tions along.ithef-lengthroffisaid tape anA f ;v 'ngi at4 all portions .-alongahetlength foffsaidtapegfat least '.:ve/.latf supenposedfilayers; -eachg-flatglayen comprising. one y,sideaofga single conv l-ution` whigh, overlaps the major portion of the In ediately, underlying. layer, saidrsatzsuperpse, laver-,Szbeing firmly in contactzwith;each-.Qthersandrmly retained against 'slippa'gef-f5with g respectyto l each other.

4. A .flexible and. sub SL-12antial-lynonfstretchable flat twisted ribbon-likewtape havinga width sev; eral times 'greater-thans the thickness thereof; comprising, a -stripfoifal flCia l-m;:mater-ial disjfAA posed Yin substantially;rspirallyfarranged convo--l lutions makingabouti .oneturn per unitofstrip width alongrtheA length Qfrsaidrtape fandyforming atfall portions alongtheflengthvof-said tapefa plurality voffii12-rcsupeltpcsdastra-1cach' at layer comprisingl one-side offa single` convolution lwhich overlaps .theggmajor-portionfof the Y immediately und-erlyinglayer;saidff'lat super-posed layers being rmly in -contactfwithjeach other and-,firmly re-4 tainedagainstslippage with:` respeetv'td-:each othertN The lfollowing lreferences'fare: ofrecord in the file of this Ipatent:

UmrEn4 srsrrsgrgrsurs Namei Williams 5231060 a' 6045350 1,762,918 1,995,696A f 2,33a1o0 'Q-- peas?, 1943 NunrlberA Date 

